2020/2021 PRESS/PHOTO INFORMATION
Press Release
RNASA's 2020 Stellar Awards Winners Announced
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
October 4, 2021
Media Contact: Lindsey Cousins, 281-480-2486, lindsey@baysidegraphics.net
The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation is pleased to announce that 25 individuals and 6 teams have been honored for their dedication to space exploration with a RNASA Stellar Award.
While the COVID pandemic forced the RNASA Foundation to reschedule and ultimately cancel the annual space awards gala, the committee charged with organizing the Stellar Awards program remained committed to celebrating the 147 nominees in the safest way possible. A full list of all 2020 Stellar Award nominees can be found at http://www.rnasa.org/2020files/nominees2020.html.
Each nominee receives a Fisher Space Pen donated by the company. The Fisher Space Pen was originally carried by the astronauts of the Apollo moon missions and is still used on manned space flights to this day. They are precision assembled, hand tested, and guaranteed to perform underwater, at any angle including upside down, in extreme temperatures, and of course in zero gravity.Each Stellar nominee also receives a special commemorative certificate with a United States flag that was flown aboard the SpaceX CRS-13 spacecraft, which launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on December 15, 2017.
The 2020 Stellar Awards Evaluation Panel, Dr. Sandra Magnus, Glynn Lunney, Kevin Chilton, Michael Coats, and David Thompson selected the winners in 2020 based on accomplishments which have advanced U.S. space capabilities and hold the greatest promise of future capabilities. The 2020 Stellar Award winners are listed below, and can also be found here: http://www.rnasa.org/2020files/winners2020.html.
2020 STELLAR AWARD WINNERS
EARLY CAREER
Gerald C. Alaniz of CACI, Inc - Critical contributions to the success of the Seeker mission, its safe operation, and its ability to meet the accelerated schedule of an ISS X-Project.
Brian F. Banker of NASA Johnson Space Center - Outstanding work on SAFER and Seeker, and mentoring the next generation of propulsion engineers.
Shannon Stiles Coggin of United Launch Alliance - Leadership, technical accomplishments and expertise leading the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Production Operations team's installation and integration of the launch vehicle adapter that will connect Boeing's CST-100 Starliner to ULA's Atlas V rocket.
Dylan Faherty of Aerojet Rocketdyne - Exceptional technical knowledge in welding and outstanding technical leadership to implement a robust methodology for fracture control compliance on the Orion Program.
Benjamin Fearn of Collins Aerospace - Outstanding contribution to the NASA Flight Test Program for the CST Program.
Maj. Christian M. Lewis of the United States Air Force - Successful development of two classified, multi-billion dollar game-changing capabilities across the intelligence and defense communities that have reshaped the space industry.
Michael A. Skeen of Lockheed Martin - Exceptional expertise across multiple systems engineering disciplines, resulting in innovative solutions to OSIRIS-REx's sample acquisition challenges.
2020 STELLAR AWARD WINNERS
MID-CAREER
Jennifer L. Devolites of NASA Johnson Space Center - Outstanding leadership and dedication to the in-house design, development, testing, and flight operations of Orion's Ascent Abort 2 Crew Module and Separation Ring Project.
Lt. Col. Brandon L. Erwin of the United States Air Force - Outstanding contributions as a true "unsung hero" - ensuring mission success by operating behind the scenes with deep technical, contractual, and teaming skills necessary to solve the toughest problems.
Jeremy J. Graeber of NASA Kennedy Space Center - Exceptional performance and commitment to excellence in furthering NASAs launch capabilities and human spaceflight exploration through the Artemis mission campaign.
Shelia D. Gray Haggard of Lockheed Martin - Innovative system-level verification approach resulting in successful execution of eleven NASA interplanetary spacecraft.
Lance R. Lininger of Lockheed Martin - Outstanding technical excellence in the design, development, qualification and delivery of all of the Orion mechanisms for the successful Ascent Abort 2 flight test and the Artemis 1 and 2 Orion spacecraft.
Troy A. McCracken of KBR - Pioneering and leading robotics operations critical to the repair and utilization of the International Space Station.
Ian J. Mills of NASA Johnson Space Center - Innovation in telerobotic satellite servicing and the remote operation of International Space Station robotics.
Dr. Chandrashekhar G. Sonwane of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics - Outstanding technical and leadership contributions in unmanned spaceflight, missiles, interceptors, torpedoes, and the Human Space Launch System, as well as helping the aerospace community through AIAA.
James Stein of Oceaneering Space Systems - Outstanding dedication, determination, performance and passion in the development of systems to support future human spaceflight programs.
2020 STELLAR AWARD WINNERS
LATE CAREER
Daksha Chokshi of Aerojet Rocketdyne - Exceptional leadership and contributions to variation reduction and statistical evaluations for manned and unmanned rocket propulsion hardware over a long and illustrious career.
Eva Crawford of Jacobs - Superior electronics fabrication, exceptional lab leadership, and invaluable mentorship throughout many space missions and projects spanning nearly 50 years.
Dr. Dale C. Ferguson of USAF Air Force Research Laboratory - Outstanding contributions for understanding spacecraft interactions with their environments, thereby significantly enhancing spacecraft safety, reliability, and situational awareness.
Jeff P. Harbour of ARES Corporation - Exceptional contributions to the development, sustainment, and maintenance of the NASA Mission Evaluation Room resulting in the highest reliability for this critical flight operations capability.
Charles M. Lundquist of NASA Johnson Space Center - Exceptional leadership of NASA Orion production and testing, resulting in the AA2 flight, delivery of Artemis 1 CSM for vehicle level testing, and many other accomplishments.
Sandra A. Mossman of Lockheed Martin - Outstanding technical and programmatic systems integration leadership resulting in successful spacecraft flight tests.
Mayra A. Nelman of KBR - Outstanding contributions to advancements in immunological research, including innovations to further space flight imaging capabilities by expanding accessibility and usability across multiple disciplines.
Thomas S. Vaughn of Northrop Grumman - Successful leadership in the casting and final assembly teams for the world's first human-rated controllable solid rocket, the Orion LAS ACM.
Michael Withey of Oceaneering Space Systems - Numerous superb accomplishments over a 40+ year career supporting human spaceflight programs at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
2020 STELLAR AWARD WINNERS
TEAM
Orion Launch Abort Attitude Control Motor Qualification and Altitude Abort Flight Test Team of Northrop Grumman - Outstanding team accomplishment in qualification and flight of the world's first human-rated controllable solid rocket, the Orion ACM. (Team Representative: Albert Drendel)
ECOsystem Space-borne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station Team of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Outstanding technical excellence in the development and demonstration of the ECOSTRESS instrument for studying plant water dynamics on Earth from the International Space Station. (Team Representative: Dr. Simon Hook)
Boeing Space Launch System Liquid Hydrogen Tank Structural Qualification Test Team - Successful execution of the SLS liquid hydrogen tank structural qualification test as the largest structural test article on the SLS program. (Team Representative: Matthew Klein)
SpaceX Demo 1 Operations & Test Team of SpaceX and NASA Kennedy Space Center - Exceptional dedication leading to the success of the SpaceX Demonstration Mission-1 for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. (Team Representatives: Aarti Matthews (SpaceX) and Michael Lee (NASA Kennedy Space Center))
CST-100 Starliner Internal Loads Team of The Boeing Company - Pioneering innovative, computational processes for rapid analysis and verification of structural hardware. (Team Representative: Adam Martin)
CST-100 Starliner Thermal Vacuum Test Team of The Boeing Company - Outstanding multidisciplinary teamwork to execute a non-traditional test to prove anomaly mitigation and critical subsystem performance of CST-100 Starliner. (Team Representative: Dan Reynolds)
Read the press release as a Word document.
About RNASA: The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation was founded by the Space Center Rotary Club of Houston, Texas in 1985 to organize and coordinate an annual event to recognize outstanding achievements in space and create greater public awareness of the benefits of space exploration. The nonprofit Foundation presents the National Space Trophy and Stellar Awards each year. See http://www.rnasa.org for more information
Press Release
34th Annual RNASA Space Award Gala Rescheduled for September 3, 2021
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
March 4, 2021
Media Contact: Lindsey Cousins, 281-723-5683, lindsey@baysidegraphics.net
In our last communication regarding the 34th annual Space Awards Gala, The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation announced that the April 2020 event had been rescheduled to April 2021. As that date approaches, the RNASA Foundation has evaluated the current status of COVID-19 cases and restrictions, and has decided to move the event, for what we hope is the final time, to September 3, 2021. With the vaccine becoming more widely available, it is projected that by September 3 we will be in a much better position to host this meaningful event for a large number of people. The event will still be held at the Houston Hyatt Regency.
The RNASA Foundation will restart the RSVP process for all attendees in the June 2021 timeframe.
The Foundation is looking forward to presenting the 2020 National Space Trophy to Dr. Ellen Ochoa, former Johnson Space Center Director, and the 2020 Space Communicator Award to NASA Senior Photographer, Bill Ingalls. In addition, Stellar awards will be presented to individuals and teams.
Looking ahead, the 35th annual event is still scheduled for April 29, 2022. We will be sending the next call for nominations for that event in September 2021, per the usual cycle.
Read the press release as a Word document.
Press Release
34th Annual RNASA Space Award Gala Rescheduled for April 30, 2021
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
September 21, 2020
Media Contact: Lindsey Cousins, 281-723-5683, lindsey@baysidegraphics.net
The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation announced in May that the 34th annual Space Awards Gala had been rescheduled for November 2020. After much consideration with respect to the on-going concerns regarding COVID-19 transmission, and in light of the challenges of planning this event to accommodate a large number of participants from across the country, the RNASA Foundation has rescheduled the event to be held on April 30, 2021 at the Houston Hyatt Regency.
The Foundation is looking forward to presenting the 2020 National Space Trophy to Dr. Ellen Ochoa, former Johnson Space Center Director, and the 2020 Space Communicator Award to NASA Senior Photographer, Bill Ingalls. In addition, stellar awards will be presented to individuals and teams.
Looking ahead, the 35th annual event will be April 29, 2022. The Foundation will send the next call for nominations for that event in September 2021, per the usual cycle.
Read the press release as a Word document.
Press Release
34th Annual RNASA Space Award Gala Rescheduled for November 20, 2020
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
May 19, 2020
Media Contact: Lindsey Cousins, 281-723-5683, lindsey@baysidegraphics.net
The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation is pleased to announce that the 34th annual Space Award Gala has been rescheduled for Friday, November 20, 2020 at the Houston Hyatt Regency.
Due to the concerns regarding COVID-19 transmission throughout the country, the original date of April 17, 2020 was postponed. The Foundation's decision to reschedule the event is based on the latest guidance by the CDC, state and local officials, and Hyatt management. The Foundation is carefully following the news and wants to assure all those involved that the health and well-being of the space community remains our top priority. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we collectively work through these unprecedented times.
The Foundation is looking forward to presenting the 2020 National Space Trophy to Dr. Ellen Ochoa, former Johnson Space Center Director, and the 2020 Space Communicator Award to NASA Senior Photographer, Bill Ingalls. In addition, stellar awards will be presented to individuals and teams.
Looking ahead, the 35th annual event will continue as planned for April 30, 2021.
Read the press release as a Word document.
Press Release
RNASA Foundation Postpones Space Awards Gala Due to COVID-19 Concerns
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
March 17, 2020
Media Contact: Lindsey Cousins, 281-723-5683, lindsey@baysidegraphics.net
Please be advised that the 34th annual Space Awards Gala will no longer be held on April 17th, and is postponed to a future yet-to-be-determined date. This decision is made due to our concerns for public safety and our desire to follow CDC best practices that curtail transmission of the COVID-19 virus. The Foundation is coordinating with the Hyatt Regency and other key stakeholders and will issue further guidance to corporate and government attendees in the coming weeks. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we collectively work through these unprecedented times. The safety and well-being of the space community, as well as the broader community, is of the utmost importance as we firmly continue to work our mission to encourage, recognize, honor, and celebrate U.S. space achievement.
For those that have committed to table or advertising space, we will notify you as soon as possible regarding the new date and details.
Read the press release as a Word document.
Press Release
Bill Ingalls, NASA Senior Photographer, to receive RNASA's 2020 Space Communicator Award
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
February 10, 2020
Media Contact: Lindsey Cousins, 281-723-5683, lindsey@baysidegraphics.net
For over three decades Bill Ingalls has been capturing NASA's most spectacular moments through his camera lens. His career was born in 1987 when he landed an internship at NASA's communications office. After graduating from the Waynesburg College with two Bachelor of Art degrees in English and Visual Communications, Ingalls returned to NASA where he joined a group of accomplished and esteemed photographers in 1989.
Bill has crisscrossed the globe photographing some of our country's most historic and compelling images. His iconic photos have captured Neil Armstrong's burial at sea, Space Shuttle Endeavor;s final landing in 2011, and the first launch of a US citizen on a Russian rocket. As one of NASA;s most senior photographers, Bill manages over 400 projects annually and supervises a team of five.
Ingalls said of his award, "I am incredibly honored, not only to have been selected to receive this recognition, but to be given the trust and responsibility to document space history in order to share NASA's story for this and future generations."
His assignments have taken him to some of the most extreme environments imaginable. He has been lowered into an active volcano in Alaska, endured -17° temperatures for a Soyuz landing in the Kazakh steppes, and flown through a hurricane aboard a DC-8.
Bob Jacobs, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Communications, who nominated Ingalls said, "Bill is so much more than a photographer, he's a storyteller," said Bob Jacobs, NASA's deputy associate administrator for the Office of Communications who nominated Ingalls. "Bill takes us on this amazing journey of spaceflight through this camera lens, whether it's the beauty and power of a launch or the exhaustion and excitement of an astronaut's return home. He's able to turn the vastness of space into very intimate moments. It's a special talent."
Bill is the second photographer to ever be honored with the National Space Club Press Award. Legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow was the first. Bill's work has been highlighted in National Geographic, Newsweek, TIME, The Washington Post, Fortune, People, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times and has been featured on NBC, CBS and ABC News. To view more of his work please visit Bill's website at ingallsimages.com.
The RNASA Space Communicator Award was created in 1997 in honor of KTRK, Houston Channel 13 space reporter and long-time RNASA Advisor Stephen Gauvain who was tragically killed in a car accident in 1996. The award is presented to an individual or team that makes exceptional contributions to public understanding and appreciation of space exploration The previous recipients of the award are: William Shatner; William Harwood of CBS; Miles O'Brien, formerly of CNN; Elliot Pulham of the Space Foundation; the NASA-Contractor Communications team that responded to the Columbia accident; Mark Carreau, formerly of the Houston Chronicle; Neil deGrasse Tyson of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, Veronica McGregor, Manager of News and Social Media at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California; former Canadian Space Agency astronaut, author, and musician Chris A. Hadfield; Bill Nye (the science guy) CEO of the Planetary Society, and Rob Navias of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Ingalls will be honored with the 2020 Space Communicator Award at RNASA's 34th annual National Space Trophy Banquet on April 17, 2020, at the Houston Hyatt Regency. Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Retired Johnson Space Center Director, will receive the 2020 National Space Trophy.
The RNASA Foundation invites members of the public and the aerospace community to attend the black-tie event on April 17, 2020, at the Houston Hyatt Regency. Please visit http://www.rnasa.org/tables.html to reserve your table for the RNASA Banquet and find information about sponsorships and tickets. To reserve a room at the Houston Hyatt Regency, please visit http://www.rnasa.org/houston.html or call 713-654-1234 and request the RNASA group rate. The RNASA website is http://www.rnasa.org/.
About RNASA: The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation was founded by the Space Center Rotary Club of Houston, Texas in 1985 to organize and coordinate an annual event to recognize outstanding achievements in space and create greater public awareness of the benefits of space exploration. The nonprofit Foundation presents the National Space Trophy and Stellar Awards each year.
Read the press release as a Word document.
Press Release
Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Retired Johnson Space Center Director, to receive the 2020 National Space Trophy
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
January 14, 2020
Media Contact: Lindsey Cousins, 281-723-5683, lindsey@baysidegraphics.net
The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation has selected Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Retired Johnson Space Center Director, to receive the 2020 National Space Trophy. The banquet honoring Dr. Ochoa will be held on April 17, 2020, at the Houston Hyatt Regency in Houston, Texas.
Rodolfo González, President of the RNASA Foundation said, "The RNASA Foundation is excited to recognize Dr. Ochoa as the guest of honor at the 2020 RNASA Space Award Gala."
Dr. Ochoa was nominated for the award by Mark Geyer, Johnson Space Center Director, Bob Cabana, Kennedy Space Center Director, and Michael Coats, former Johnson Space Center Director (2005-2012). In recommending Ochoa, Geyer and Cabana said "Dr. Ellen Ochoa has distinguished herself as a champion for space exploration and scientific discovery through her dedicated service to NASA and to our Nation." Coats remarked "Dr. Ochoa's technical expertise, extensive management experience, and superb communication skills were a perfect fit for her job as JSC Director. She is an exceptional leader and a role model for young women everywhere."
Ochoa said she feels "...beyond astonishment, I mainly feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and affection for all of the amazing human space flight team members that I had the honor of working with for 30 years. I'm looking forward to seeing my colleagues and friends – and honoring the Stellar award winners – at the RNASA event!"
Ochoa began her three-decade long career as a research engineer at Sandia National Laboratories and NASA Ames Research Center. She has three patents in the area of optical information processing and numerous publications in technical journals. Selected to join the Astronaut Corps in 1990, she subsequently flew on four space shuttle missions. Ochoa served as mission specialist during her first flight aboard STS-56 in 1993 and payload commander for STS-66 in 1994. Both missions focused on the effects of solar activity on Earth's environment. She went on to serve as mission specialist and flight engineer for STS-96, the first mission to dock with the ISS, and STS-110, which was the first mission to use the International Space Station’s robotic arm. All told, she logged nearly 1,000 hours in space.
Ochoa was appointed JSC's deputy director of flight crew operations in 2002 before being promoted to director in 2006. In 2007, she was named deputy director of JSC where she stayed until her appointment as JSC's 11th director in 2013. For five and a half years, Dr. Ochoa expertly managed a workforce of over 10,000 civil servants and an annual budget in excess of $4.5 billion. She championed ISS research opportunities for worldwide customers, oversaw the first successful test flight of the Orion spacecraft, and worked tirelessly to develop the Commercial Crew Program, an effort to build commercial partnerships which has created lasting impacts for NASA's future endeavors.
As the first female Hispanic astronaut and JSC's first Hispanic director, Dr. Ochoa takes great pride in inspiring young audiences about the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math curriculum (STEM). She has given hundreds of presentations across the country and has served as a role model for thousands of students. She has six schools named after her, several books written about her, and has been profiled in textbooks and on websites geared toward encouraging females and minorities to pursue technical fields.
Dr. Ochoa earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from San Diego State University in 1980 and a Master of Science degree and Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 1981 and 1985. She has earned numerous accolades during her 30-year career including NASA's Distinguished Service Medal and four Space Flight Medals. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and the Optical Society of America (OSA), and she has been inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame, the California Hall of Fame and the International Air & Space Hall of Fame.
Dr. Ochoa retired from the federal government in 2018 and now serves as vice chair for the National Science Board, among other activities.
The RNASA Foundation invites members of the public and the aerospace community to attend the black-tie event on April 17, 2020, at the Houston Hyatt Regency, where Dr. Ochoa will be recognized with the National Space Trophy. This year will be RNASA's 34th annual Space Awards Gala. Please visit http://www.rnasa.org/tables.html to reserve your table for the RNASA Banquet and find information about sponsorships and tickets. To reserve a room at the Houston Hyatt Regency, please visit http://www.rnasa.org/houston.html or call 713-654-1234 and request the RNASA group rate.
About RNASA: The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation was founded by the Space Center Rotary Club of Houston, Texas, in 1985 to organize and coordinate an annual event to recognize outstanding achievements in space and create greater public awareness of the benefits of space exploration. The nonprofit Foundation presents the National Space Trophy and Stellar Awards each year. The RNASA website is http://www.rnasa.org/.
Read the press release as a Word document.